It did not break me: Malaysian woman mistaken for Tamil Nadu Minister speaks out

Speaking about the trolling and scrutiny she faced, Ravi said she has filed a police complaint and refused to be broken by the harassment, urging people not to judge women based on their clothes and calling for greater responsibility online.Vinosha Ravi said a colleague first sent her the video after it began circulating online, adding that she had no idea she had been filmed or that the footage had gone viral. Malaysian woman Vinosha Ravi has spoken out after a video of her was misused on social media to spread a false narrative linking her to Tamil Nadu Industries Minister S Keerthana, saying she was left “depressed and scared by the trolling” but refused to let the episode break her.Ravi has filed a complaint with the Malaysian police over the circulation of the video and the abuse directed at her, and said her family, siblings and partner stood by her as she dealt with the sudden scrutiny.“It did not break me. I was down. Yes, I was depressed. I was very scared about what would happen if this video went viral,” Ravi told India Today.She said a colleague first sent her the video after it had begun circulating online. Ravi said she had no idea that she had been filmed or that the footage had gone viral. “I was not aware of the video when it was going viral. So when my colleague shared it with me, I was also shocked to see that video,” she said.The video, recorded in Malaysia while Ravi was on her way to work, was apparently intended for another person. However, social media users began commenting on Ravi's appearance, body and clothing, with some creating trolling videos that she said also affected her family. Ravi said her family helped her stay grounded through the episode, reminding her that she had done nothing wrong. “My siblings, my partner, my family, they made it very simple. You don't have to get stressed. This is not your fault. You did not do anything wrong,” she said.Rather than staying silent, Ravi approached the Malaysian police and filed a complaint over the circulation of the video. She said authorities have since contacted her and that the matter is being followed up.“The Malaysian police is already working on it. They have contacted me. And we are already following up on this,” she said.Ravi said she continues to receive abusive comments and trolling, but has remained firm about not allowing the episode to dictate her choices.The incident has also prompted her to question the way women are judged over their clothes. She said the fact that she was wearing a short dress did not give anyone the right to publicly shame or target her.“I don't think that someone should actually judge based on what a woman is wearing. I think clothing is someone's freedom,” she said.Ravi also questioned how the video was recorded and circulated in the first place, saying she did not know who had filmed her. “No one gives the rights to someone who can just post someone's video just like that,” she said.The controversy erupted after social media users mistook Ravi for Tamil Nadu Industries Minister S Keerthana and questioned the minister over the woman's appearance.Keerthana later clarified that the woman in the video was not her and apologised to Ravi for being dragged into the controversy because of a passing resemblance.In a post on X, Keerthana questioned why a woman's clothes or appearance should become a matter for public scrutiny.“For the record: the woman in that video is not me. But even if it were, why should it matter?” she said.She also criticised what she described as a regressive mindset that could turn a woman simply going about her day into the subject of a political controversy.For Ravi, the episode has been unsettling but has not made her back down. Despite being frightened by the sudden wave of trolling and concerned about its impact on her family, she has chosen to speak publicly, pursue the matter with the police and stand by her right to dress and live on her own terms.- EndsPublished By: Shipra ParasharPublished On: Aug 25, 2026 20:19 IST